Some days you’re bursting with brilliant YouTube video ideas, other times it’s trickier to get a spark of inspiration. We've been there, all creators have! So we put on our thinking caps, asked ourselves 'what would Airrack do' and came up with the essential list of content ideas for YouTube creators.
Shake things up with a format you haven’t tried before, collaborate with other people in your niche, or even just share a little bit more of yourself. You’ll get loads of great YouTube video ideas to keep your channel fresh! So fire up your creativity, get inspiration for your next banger video, and create YouTube gold.
- Introduce yourself
- Educate others
- Entertain people
- Share your reactions
- Embrace your community
- Try something a little different!
- Browse the full list of 61 YouTube video ideas
Introduction videos
Hey, nice to meet you! It’s fun getting to know people and you can quickly build a deeper connection with your viewers if you open up and show them what you’re all about. Share the things you’re passionate about, let people see what makes you tick and give them a reason to subscribe to your YouTube channel!
1. Tell people about yourself
Don’t be shy, tell people exactly who you are! You can talk about your likes, dislikes, your road to becoming a YouTuber, anything you like. You’re the star of the show and you can set whatever agenda you want to.
2. Get your family involved 👨👩👧👦
Introduce your loved ones and give viewers a genuine peak into your everyday life. It’ll help build that personal connection with your audience and could lead to regular cameos. Plus, you should never underestimate the power of getting a cute baby or your beloved family dog on camera!
3. Embrace the vlog life
Vlogs give you the opportunity to share unfiltered snapshots with your audience. You don’t need to plan your shots and write a script, simply grab your camera and hit record instead. Follow in the footsteps of YouTube legends like Casey Neistat and share regular updates.
4. Share a life update
It’s the same for every single creator - there’s always plenty going on behind the camera! Maybe you’re getting ready to start college or a new job. Or you could be packing up to move house, or even expecting a new arrival. Share those life milestones with your invested followers.
5. Go behind the scenes
Give your audience a peek behind the curtain and show them how you create your masterpieces. Whether you’ve got a cool home studio set-up, or you rival Sam Kolder when it comes to piloting drones and capturing footage on the fly, it’s a great way of letting your audience into your world.
6. Tour your room
Let your audience in on the magic by showcasing where all your video-making happens. Give them a quick tour of where your videos are filmed so they can have a snoop behind the camera. It’s a great opportunity to let people see into your world.
7. Document your experiences
Take people along for the ride as you try out new experiences and share your excitement! You never know, you might get suggestions in the comments for awesome eateries or hidden gems that you can include in your next adventure.
8. A day in the life
Showing your audience what you get up to on a day-to-day basis is an effortless way of letting your viewers get to know you better. You could be doing something as routine as picking up your groceries, or showing the scale of your next big shoot. Give your audience a glimpse into your daily routine, like British lifestyle YouTuber Becca Watson does.
9. Share your interests
If you’re passionate about it, there’s a good chance other people are too. So show off your collection of figurines, impress viewers with your mastery of the Marvel Universe, or share your favorite spots for wild swimming - whatever you're in to!
10. Show off your style 💅
You’ve got a passion for fashion and your make-up is always on point! Join the legion of inspirational YouTubers like Jenn Im and PatrickStarrr sharing essential advice for staying on-trend, whether you’re into high fashion or something a bit quirkier.
Educational content
As the world’s second-biggest search engine, loads of people head to YouTube for step-by-step guides, priceless hacks, and all sorts of useful nuggets of wisdom. Share your area of expertise and help to educate the masses!
11. Tutorial videos
Make yourself an invaluable resource for your audience as they look to master new skills. Share a recipe for how to make immaculate cupcakes. Give step-by-step instructions on the best way to groom your dog. Show people how they can upcycle old clothes or furniture. Teach your audience some of the skills you have!
12. Run an online class 🧘♀️
Have people following along with your tutorial in real-time to create a useful resource they can come back to again and again. This one works especially well for fitness creators like Yoga With Adriene or Chloe Ting that give classes for viewers to follow along to.
13. Help to solve people’s problems
One of the biggest reasons people head to YouTube is to find solutions. So if you’re an expert in your particular niche, why not offer to help out your viewers? Gaming creator Zealand regularly offers to fix Football Manager saves, while the technology gurus at Linus Tech Tips playfully roast people’s gaming setups.
14. Teach other YouTubers
Sharing is caring. Help out your fellow creators with some of the lessons you’ve learned on your YouTube journey so far, like Jade Beason does with her awesome tutorials. It could be where to find the best gear bargains, handy editing tips for creating magic on Premiere Pro, or even a list of other YouTubers that inspire you.
15. Mythbusting videos
We all get a kick out of fun facts but you can’t believe everything you see on the internet. Don your sleuthing cap and bust those nonsensical myths. After all, is the Great Wall of China really visible from space? And surely we don’t actually swallow that many spiders while we’re sleeping!
16. Little known tricks & hacks 💡
Sharing neat little tricks can make for seriously satisfying videos, creating the perfect combination of entertaining content that is actually useful too! Mastered the art of making the perfect poached egg? Found a nifty little shortcut for folding your laundry? Turn your top tips into super handy videos.
17. Share your advice
Whatever your niche, you’re certain to have picked up some invaluable nuggets of advice you can share with viewers. There are loads of dedicated life coaches on YouTube like Lavendaire, but you can share advice for any speciality. Dental Digest has built a huge following thanks to their handy dental hygiene tips.
18. Take people with you on big adventures
If you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, why not take people with you on that journey? Maybe you’re embracing parenthood, or flying halfway around the world. Showing people the range of emotions you go through creates an authentic and relatable piece of content.
19. Follow an instructional video
Don’t worry if you don’t have loads of top tips you’re dying to share, we can’t all be Martha Stewart! What you can do instead is road test other people’s instruction videos, see what works and also suggest some improvements too. Even if it goes horrifically wrong, you’ll still have a pretty entertaining video!
20. Critique other people’s tutorials
So we’re not asking you to roast other creators, but a little bit of constructive criticism doesn’t hurt. And you can give your viewers real value by pointing out both the good and bad bits of other people’s videos. Aussie artist Jazza took things a step further when he critiqued his own artworks!
Entertain your audience
Putting a smile on people’s faces is a glorious thing. If you were born to entertain, join the likes of Smosh, PewDiePie, and the wide variety of musicians, comedians and YouTube personalities using the platform to brighten up people’s lives.
21. Comedy skits
From well-crafted parodies to hilariously-awful dad jokes, if you can get people belly-laughing you’ll be onto a winner. You could come up with a whole stand-up routine, share your own take on the classic Christmas cracker gags, or take a sideways glance at what’s going on in the world. Go on, spread some laughter!
22. Create a parody video
Send up the biggest rockstars, Hollywood superstars and other pop culture staples with parody videos. All it takes is creativity to rewrite a song with comedy lyrics, or turn an iconic scene into something surreal. Go on, channel your inner Weird Al Yankovic!
23. Show people your bloopers 🙈
Every YouTuber has tons of footage where they’ve messed up their lines or tripped over their equipment. Show viewers you don’t take yourself too seriously and package up your most embarrassing moments.
24. Challenge videos
So you probably don’t have the budget to recreate Squid Game like Mr Beast, but with a little creativity you can come up with some brilliant challenges for you or your friends to take on. Maybe steer clear of reading the entire Bee Movie script though.
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25. Cook up a storm 🧑🍳
Sharing recipe videos with viewers is one thing, but there’s so much potential for you to get super creative in the kitchen. And if you enjoy eating it, people are going to salivate over the footage. Take Binging With Babish for example, with his outlandish recreations of recipes from popular TV shows and films. Or Pick Up Limes sharing their all-time favorite recipes!
26. Beat the clock
Ramp up the pressure and set yourself a challenge with a time limit. You don’t need Mr Beast levels of budget to come up with super interesting tasks to entertain your audience. Just look at documentary maker Matt D’Avelia who shares regular 30 day experiments he carries out.
27. Gaming content 🎮
From building your own worlds in Minecraft and Roblox, to taking on all-comers in Fortnite and GTA. Gaming is massive on YouTube, Minecraft videos alone have well over one trillion views. Not to mention some of the biggest YouTubers started out by sharing videos of their gameplay.
28. Make music
Whatever your musical talent, your YouTube channel can be your stage. Fancy yourself as a guitar virtuoso or a titan on the tambourine? Do you have a singing voice that kills at karaoke, or perhaps you’re a whistling champion? You may not become the next Justin Beiber, but you could well find an appreciative audience!
29. Share lists
We’re about to get meta, but lists are a neat way of sharing facts and opinions in a simple format. Want to share the greatest burger bars in your hometown? Got strong views on what the best Star Wars films are from best to worst? Start a debate by sharing a list!
30. Put out a highlights reel
Why wouldn’t you want to showcase your best bits? Make time to regularly take a look back at the awesome content you’ve made and think about how to pull it all together into a single highlights package. The best bit is that you can then use this for a killer channel trailer to hook people into your channel.
Reaction videos
Take a look around you, there is inspiration for YouTube ideas everywhere you look. From the latest blockbuster movie trailer to the cereal you had for breakfast this morning. Get opinionated, share your hot-takes, give people an insight into the world as you see it, and get people talking.
31. Response video
Flick through the news for a free and easy source of new material. Give your views on anything from the latest political scandal through to celebrity gossip. You can keep it light or tackle the really weighty issues. Take a stand and start a debate!
32. Share your opinions
Everyone loves hot takes! Don’t be shy about sharing your opinions with viewers and seeing how many people agree with you. Maybe you’re passionate about whether pineapple belongs on a pizza (it does!) or have strong views on ranking Star Wars from best to worst. The floor is all yours, so state your case!
33. Video reviews
Love the latest Beyoncé album? Can’t stand it? Completely indifferent? You can review absolutely anything from the newest gadgets through to the latest New York Times bestseller, massive live events right down to a local band you think will be the next big thing.
34. Product comparison videos
iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy. Coca Cola vs Pepsi. Throw your hat into the ring and lay down your views on some of the contentious product discussions. Or share your expertise, like photographer Lizzie Peirce does with her phone camera comparisons. You might want to use your platform to highlight some great products you’ve found too. Like Uppbeat perhaps? 😉
35. Product unboxing
Who doesn’t love the satisfaction of opening up a package for the very first time! Unbox Therapy may have access to wildly expensive tech, TVs, cars and limited edition smartphones that are beyond most budgets, but anyone can recreate that same unboxing experience.
36. Product tutorials
Teaching your viewers how to use the latest products not only helps to empower them, but also shows off your expertise. It can be anything from the newest high tech gadgets to practical how-tos on everyday items. Take coffee aficionado James Hoffman as an example, showing his viewers how to use different pieces of equipment to make the perfect cup.
37. React to new releases
Tap into the excitement of the latest Hollywood blockbuster or the fanciest new tech on the market before it’s even come out. Just because you haven’t had a chance to experience it yet doesn’t mean you can’t share your views on it. Give your verdict on a movie trailer. Pick apart the new features announced for the latest phone. Get people talking about whatever’s new in your niche.
38. Travel content 🌎
If you have a drone, a GoPro, or simply your smartphone, capture your experiences and inspire others to explore the world. Counting down the days till an incredible city break? Discovering a new island paradise? You could even stay closer to home and show off the best parts of your hometown to reveal a fresh and exciting new destination to your audience.
39. Explore different cultures
Traveling the world can be expensive, but you can experience different cultures without leaving the house! Step outside your home country and share your reactions to other countries' TV shows, music or food. Snack Wars regularly pits the food from two countries against each other - you’ll probably recognise them from Pedro Pascal’s iconic sandwich-eating meme.
40. Support your favorite team 🏈
If you’re passionate about sports, why not turn your fandom into regular content? React to the latest results, discuss trades and transfers, and encourage debate from your fellow fans. Take AFTV and The United Stand for example, representing Premier League teams Arsenal and Manchester United. Whatever your team, there’s a ready-made audience waiting for you.
41. Put together your Top 10s
Making a list is a tried and tested format that people can’t stop watching! Consider running through your top 10 gardening tips or TV shows. Collect your favorite food trends from the last year. Or rank all the best mobiles that are currently on the market. Come up with a list that relates to your speciality.
Embrace your community
Your audience is a big part of why you do what you do and they can be a brilliant source of inspiration as well! Don’t be afraid of reaching out to your viewers and seeing what they want to see from you.
42. Q&A Session 🙋
Encourage audience participation and see the range of interesting questions you get back! Lots of YouTubers invite their audience to get involved by taking part in live streams, submitting questions, and sharing their unpopular opinions. By including your fans in your videos, they’ll be that bit more invested in your channel.
43. Spark a debate
Fire up your comments section by setting out a debate for people to get involved in. You could put across your view and ask people to challenge you, or argue both sides and see which your viewers support.
Self-professed 'music nerd' Anthony Fantano regularly challenges his audience to share their controversial opinions. Just remember to engage with the comments section once you get people talking!
44. Ask for submissions
Some video formats lend themselves to asking for recommendations and suggestions, so get people involved! You could ask for anything from restaurant tips and undiscovered bands, through to hidden beauty spots and unmissable holiday destinations. Plus, you only need to ask the question once to get heaps of great ideas!
45. Build an online club 📖
If you’ve got your own engaged community, make your viewers a part of your videos so they feel part of your club. You could ask subscribers to recommend books, films or albums for you to review next. Or encourage people to send you photos of their own artwork or recipes for you to try. Give people the chance to play an active part in your channel!
46. Challenge your viewers
Lay down the gauntlet and set your audience a challenge in your videos. Maybe you’re a food creator who can set their viewers the task of trying out a recipe. Or if you’re a fashion YouTuber, see which of your followers can suggest the best style hacks. Not only will you get your community more involved, you’ll get a follow-up video out of it too!
47. Interview an expert
Know someone in your particular niche that really inspires you? Why not reach out to them and ask if they’ll feature in an interview. Not only will you get quality content, you’ll also be able to ask them anything you like too!
48. Collaborate with other creators
You shouldn’t look at other YouTubers making similar videos to you as competition, they could be collaborators! You only need to look at The Sidemen getting together with Logan Paul to see the power of bringing fan bases together.
49. Throwback to old content
Don’t forget the gems you put out previously! There’s a good chance some of your newer fans might not have seen some of your earlier masterpieces. Why not dig out some of your best bits, or you could even make a reaction video for some of your previous hot-takes?
50. Give old videos a new lease of life
It’s a sad fact for creators that some of our greatest masterpieces will one day feel dated. But that doesn’t mean you can’t reboot old content! For example, you could review the most addictive TV boxsets to stream and create a new, updated version every year.
51. Crowdsource ideas
One of the simplest ways to find out what your audience wants to see is by asking them outright! Try to get into the habit of asking viewers questions during your videos and seeing what responses they give you in the comments. It could help to inspire new avenues to pursue or even a dedicated follow-up video of its own.
Think outside the box
Hopefully at this point you’ll have loads of YouTube video ideas and exciting content you can start working on, but there are other ways you can find inspiration. Change up your creative process and think about giving these a try.
52. Try different formats
There are loads of ways you can mix things up! If you typically post vlogs, why not try a podcast roundtable? Or if you’ve done loads of listicles, you could give storytelling a go! For inspiration you only need to look at how YouTube behemoth Pewdiepie pivoted from posting gaming content to branching out into music videos and comedy.
53. Start with your title and thumbnail
Catchy titles and attention-grabbing thumbnails are the best way to get people to stop scrolling and hook them into watching your videos. Why not start your brainstorming process by spitballing snappy titles and the best thumbnails you can come up with? If the ideas grab your attention, the video you make off the back of it should be super engaging too.
54. Use YouTube to search for ideas 🔎
You know how YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine? You can actually use that to your advantage by searching for topics around your particular niche. For example, if you search ‘how to bake a cake’, YouTube actually gives you loads of suggestions for terms that other people are searching. You can use these to inspire you and create a video off the back of your research.
55. Or simply use YouTube’s homepage for inspiration!
You’ve got tons of inspiration right under your nose! YouTube’s clever algorithm knows what you like watching and serves it to you on your homepage. Have a flick through and see what you might put your own spin on.
56. Give people a sequel
Take a look through your back catalog. There could be plenty of videos you could refresh or put a completely new spin on. For example, British YouTuber Tom Scott often looks back at previous predictions he’s made to see how far off they are!
57. Find a YouTube video idea generator 🤖
When you’ve got a complete mental block, it’s tempting to search for a YouTube video idea generator. But does such a thing exist? Thanks to the explosion of AI tools like ChatGPT, you absolutely can generate ideas with just a few easy prompts. FInd out how AI can boost your creative process with our article on AI tools for creators.
58. Step outside your comfort zone
Why not try something completely different to anything you’ve done before? It doesn’t need to be as extreme as facing your deepest fears or traveling to remote places. It could be as simple as going off script, getting friends and family involved in your videos, or covering an entirely new topic. Yes Theory take this to the extreme, featuring completely different challenges in every single video.
59. Share your personal journey
No matter what your regular content is about, subscribers are going to be interested in what your life is like behind the camera. Why not turn that into a video series with regular glimpses into your day-to-day life? Lilly Singh is a great example having started out posting comedy skits, she now regularly provides her subscribers with updates alongside her regular content.
60. Give the people what they want! 💬
The comments section on any YouTube video can be an absolute goldmine, and it’s a great way to find out what your viewers want to see from you! Keep an eye out for people asking the same questions, and you’ll soon start racking up a ton of new YouTube channel ideas.
61. Create YouTube Shorts
Switch things up and brainstorm a few ideas for YouTube shorts. Shooting in vertical and keeping your content super snappy gets you thinking differently and could inspire new ways of creating content in your long form videos too.
Go on, get creative!
Now you’re armed with a whole arsenal of awesome thought-starters for fresh videos, it’s time to take them from your ideas page to the YouTube homepage. From new variations of your already amazing content, right through to a completely new direction for your channel.
Have fun getting those creative juices flowing and take your YouTube game up a gear! Make sure you also subscribe to the Uppbeat blog for more great tips for YouTubers, guides on how to find the perfect soundtrack for your project, and other essential advice for creators.
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Browse the full list of 61 YouTube video ideas
- Tell people about yourself
- Get your family involved
- Embrace the vlog life
- Share a life update
- Go behind the scenes
- Tour your room
- Document your experiences
- A day in the life
- Share your interests
- Show off your style
- Tutorial videos
- Run an online class
- Help to solve people's problems
- Teach other YouTubers
- Mythbusting videos
- Little known tricks & hacks
- Share your advice
- Take people with you on big adventures
- Follow an instructional video
- Critique other people's tutorials
- Comedy skits
- Create a parody video
- Show people your bloopers
- Challenge videos
- Cook up a storm
- Beat the clock
- Gaming content
- Make music
- Share lists
- Put out a highlights reel
- Response video
- Share your opinions
- Video reviews
- Product comparison videos
- Product unboxing
- Product tutorials
- React to new releases
- Travel content
- Explore different cultures
- Support your favorite team
- Put together your Top 10s
- Q&A session
- Spark a debate
- Ask for submissions
- Build an online club
- Challenge your viewers
- Interview an expert
- Collaborate with other creators
- Throwback to old content
- Give old videos a new lease of life
- Crowdsource ideas
- Try different formats
- Start with your title and thumbnail
- Use YouTube to search for ideas
- Or simply use YouTube's homepage for inspiration
- Give people a sequel
- Find a YouTube video idea generator
- Step outside your comfort zone
- Share your personal journey
- Give the people what they want!
- Create YouTube Shorts
